ICON OF COIL MACHINES ARE US ALBUM METROPOLIS, OUT OF LINE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 17, 2004 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 23, 2004

After hearing the single "Android", I thought that maybe Icon of Coil had started making good music. Alas, that was not the case. This album is pretty dreary and bleak, and only a few tracks – “Transfer: Complete” springs to mind – lift themselves over the low standards here. Imagine extremely simple melodies, a toneless voice on top (and the singer actually manages to sound exactly the same in each and every song), and dull four on the floor dance beats underneath. Doesn’t sound that exciting does it? It’s not. And I like to take a bit of space and tell artists all over the world this: If you don't have enough good tracks, don't fill up the entire CD, for Gods sake. Single out the ones you like the most, and skip the rest.
Anyway, this is pretty much futurepop by the book, and we’ve heard it all too many times before, I’m afraid. This genre needs to take itself by the neck and figure out how to go on, because this is leading nowhere. Get this disc if you’re in need of dancefloor material, where it will work nicely. Otherwise, don’t bother.

JOHAN CARLSSON